Why Community Matters
A loyal community is exactly what an influencer needs in order to elevate their brand (and their channel). By creating and fostering a loyal community, you have, in essence, a powerful tool in your back pocket that brands will recognize. A thriving influencer is the forefront of conversation and imperative to genuine relationship building.
Have you ever stopped to think about why community matters — especially your own? Community is not just “viewers” or those that comment and chat, they’re the life force to your brand. Creating a genuine, authentic relationship with your community is vital to success.
A Community Is Your Backbone
It’s not the size (of the audience) that counts — it’s how you listen.
What would your channel be without a community? To get to know your community better, start to strengthen it by utilizing social media — such as twitter. Share fun clips, engage in banter with your followers, and of course, use polls in order to get the conversation going. Don’t be discouraged if, in the beginning, there is not a lot of engagement. Hard work and persistence helps to build a community.
Take polls, votes, et al. to get a feel for where your community is at. Don’t be afraid of asking questions: What do you THINK? What emotes would you like to see? What kind of games should I play next? Without a back and forth discussion, an influencer cannot truly build a loyal community. You’ll be just talking into a void — a self-serving void. By asking questions and, more importantly, answering questions, you show that your community matters. Too often larger influencers let questions fall by the sidelines — don’t get caught in the rut of ghosting the community. An influencer that doesn’t remember their community — is further separated from what gives them a platform.
If you’re at a loss of how to engage your community once you’ve gone bigger, loyalty programs (Twitch stickers, unique point redemptions, mini-games, etc) can be the key to unlocking more loyalty. Buyable merch or onstream items that the community can redeem can further foster the feeling of exclusivity. A community that feels important and part of a larger circle will keep coming back for more. There is a reason brands like Sephora have loyalty programs — it keeps you coming back.
Overlooking your audience and promoting poor engagement habits will result in a staggering view count and end up with a less loyal fanbase. Whether you’re an influencer or a brand that sells a product, community engagement is truly the backbone of your brand.
Community Helps You to Stay Authentic
Creating a successful campaign requires an authentic voice. An influencer community comes back to an influencer’s content because of their particular voice. Whether it’s a new or an old game, or a product they’ve never heard of before — an influencer that doesn’t have their own voice or unique perspective won’t build a loyal audience.
It is important to gauge a community’s feeling on how authentic you are. Find your tone suited for your target audience. Exactly who do you hope drops by the stream? Do you want people with similar interests and hobbies? What demographic do you want to speak to?
While it is important to listen to criticism and suggestions, it is important to remember to find your own authentic voice. If you’re someone that stays mainly quiet on stream, think of changing that up. Share things that you’re passionate about, not just things that everyone else is trying. If there is a game that is super popular at the moment, try to dedicate a certain night to streaming new games and share your opinion on it at the end — in your own voice.
It’s Not Just The Vocal Audience That Matters (AKA Lurkers Matter)
Streamers may want to have an active chat and participating audience, however, it’s the lurkers (an audience member that views and never chats) that help a streamer build views. A good streaming personality will make lurkers feel as if they want to come back for the banter a streamer might have with other participants. A streamer should never make an audience feel as if they have to participate in the conversation — though it is appreciated — being a wallflower can be equally important, if not more.
People that lurk in the stream are typically those that feel comfortable with the streamer. They find both the content and the tone appealing. Pressuring people to chat because they’re watching your stream is a big no-no. No one should feel like they have to talk; chatting, while making your stream lively, should never be a streaming requirement. Remember, nothing is required — not even watching your stream. Forcing participation is the quickest way to squash a burgeoning community.
Building a community takes time. Remember the old adage — Rome wasn’t built in a day. A community is the be-all-end-all of a streamer. Like venturing off into the woods, it’s a bit precarious to go into it alone — community helps. A strong community will guide you on what type of streamer you should become. They help to find your strong points and accompany you through your weak points. Without your community, you’re streaming into a void.
